Social services will ask for less from county

GRAHAM — The Alamance County Department of Social Services Board has approved a budget request for 2013-14 that allocates fewer county dollars than the current budget.

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold a budget retreat on April 15 at May Memorial Library in Burlington to review all county departments’ proposed budgets before final approval.

DSS Fiscal Director Richard Stegenga said Thursday the proposed DSS budget is $123,857 less overall than it was for the current fiscal year. The DSS budget request for 2013-14 is $20,982,184, with state and federal revenues of $15,129,383 and county revenues budgeted for $5,852,801.

The DSS budget for 2012-13 was $20,858,327 with county funds totaling $5,980,610, according to Stegenga.

Stegenga provided the DSS board members with information regarding possible state and federal cuts to DSS for 2013-14.

The county’s Child Support Services could receive $100,000 less and face an $112,000 increase in fees of which $38,000 would be required to be paid by the county.

The county’s Child Care Subsidy Program could face financial struggles beginning July 1. DSS could see cuts of $337,000 in its subsidy program possibly affecting up to 75 local children, according to estimates by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The county’s Social Services Block Grant funding could be cut by up to $200,000. The statewide Social Services Block Grant funding is projected to decrease by $4,368,706 as compared to 2012-13.

These cuts were included in the calculation of the DSS budget request to the county. Stegenga said DSS staff worked to trim the budget expenses as much as possible understanding the county’s current fiscal condition.

“This agency operates, by far, only mandated programs, only those that are required by the state of North Carolina,” Stegenga said.